Will the Union Budget Enhance Capex, Services Sector Growth, and AI to Bolster FY27 Earnings?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, Feb 2 (NationPress) The anticipated increase in capital expenditure (capex), expansion in the services sector, and advancements in artificial intelligence within the Union Budget, combined with a slightly slower than expected pace of fiscal consolidation, are likely to bolster FY27 earnings. This conclusion comes from a report by Morgan Stanley, which highlights that heightened demand for equities via buybacks will further contribute to this positive outlook.
The Budget aims to strike a balance between reducing debt-to-GDP ratios and supporting growth through both cyclical and structural initiatives.
“Our outlook on Indian equities remains optimistic – we recommend an overweight position in Financials, Consumer Discretionary, and Industrials,” stated the global brokerage.
The fiscal plan aims for a fiscal deficit of 4.3% of GDP for FY27, aligning with a projected central government debt-to-GDP ratio of 55.6%.
The Budget promotes growth across three key areas: Firstly, a sustained focus on manufacturing through initiatives that build upon previous efforts, such as support for semiconductors (ISM 2.0), rare earth magnets, and legacy industrial clusters.
“The Budget enhances the services sector through measures like increased safe harbour thresholds, a tax exemption for data centres, and a goal of achieving a 10% share of global exports by 2047; along with a renewed emphasis on capex, which is projected to rise by 11.5% year-on-year, with defence capex increasing by 18%,” the note added.
While maintaining a path towards fiscal consolidation, it does so at the slowest rate since the pandemic.
“We anticipate that the Budget will foster cyclical growth recovery through its focus on capex (with central government capex remaining at 3.1% of GDP in FY27, similar to FY26 RE) and will enhance India’s structural growth trajectory through measures aimed at improving manufacturing competitiveness and the attractiveness of the services sector,” the global brokerage concluded.
We believe the fiscal parameters are realistic, factoring in a nominal GDP growth of 10% for FY27 and an 11.4% growth in direct tax revenues.